Best ways to boost your vitamin C intake

Vitamin C is one of the true heroes of the nutritional world, helping with everything from keeping the common cold away, to boosting circulation and heart health.

In more recent years, it’s also become revered for its collagen-boosting properties, making it one of the most popular skincare ingredients for helping to reverse damage from UV rays and for achieving that ‘glowy’ look.

Here, we run through some of the top sources of vitamin C, so you can work some into your diet and feel amazing.

Camu-Camu

This cherry-like fruit is harvested from the basin of the Amazonian Rainforest, and contains over thirty times the level of vitamin C found in Oranges! Camu-Camu is a source of ‘gentle’ iron, phosphorous, potassium, vitamins B2, B3, beta-carotene and other carotenoids. It also contains amino acids, bio-flavonoids, anthocyanins and other nutrients that help with the absorption of the vitamin C in the body.

Oranges

When someone says ‘vitamin C’, you immediately picture an orange. Juicy, sweet and one of the world’s most popular fruits, oranges are renowned for their health benefits and immune-system boosting abilities.

Not only are they the most enjoyable way to keep a cold at bay (and only 62 calories!), studies have shown orange fruits to be highly effective at protecting against cardiovascular disease.

Red Peppers

A perhaps lesser-known source of vitamin C is the versatile red pepper, perfect for jazzing up a salad, adding crunch to a pizza or roasting with some couscous. But the pros of peppers go way beyond their sweet taste and brightly-coloured good looks.

Not satisfied with just providing vitamin C, red peppers are also a source of vitamins A, E and B6, providing your body with antioxidants, keeping skin and hair looking youthful, and helping to maintain cell renewal and the health of the nervous system, respectively.

Leafy Greens

There’s a good reason Pop-Eye looked like he spent most of his time at the gym. Clearly, he listened when his mother said he’d grow up big and strong if he ate his greens! Spinach, kale, broccoli and brussels sprouts are all fantastic sources of vitamin C, as well as beta-carotene, which helps with the growth and repair of the body’s tissues.

Some leafy greens, like collards and kale, are also rich in calcium, which helps keep your teeth and bones strong and reduces your overall risk for osteoporosis. Vegans and lactose-intolerant, rejoice! Who needs milk anyway?

Strawberries

Yes, really! This British favourite are an excellent source of vitamins C and K as well as providing a good dose of fibre, folic acid, manganese and potassium.

Got a sweet tooth? Strawberries are a nutritional alternative to sugary snacks, and their fibre content may help to regulate blood sugar levels and have a satiating effect.

Maca

For centuries, Maca has been harvested and used by the indigenous peoples because of its beneficial properties and health benefits.

It is a root vegetable grown high in the Peruvian Andes in South America. Here, the soil is extremely rich in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, iron, zinc, iodine, copper, selenium, bismuth, manganese and silica, to name a few.

Maca is alsopacked with vitamins, especially B1, B2, E and yep, you guessed it, vitamin C. Just think of it as nature’s multivitamin!